TOPIC: The Indian Contingent

I have long had an interest in Indian military history and the Raj, so I have enjoyed your posts and look forward to more.

I don't collect medals in this field, but a few years ago I weakened and bought a bronze QSA (to 248 Syce Pannaswamy S & T Corps)to add to my collection of mainly South African QSAs. I would have preferred one to the Corps of Guides or Bengal Lancers!

248 Syce Punnaswamy appears on the roll Madras Command;Bangalore District ref.WO 100/297 p188-97,201,205.
Nice medal to have. The silver medals to the unit show service in OFS and Tvl. and all have a single date clasp SA'02.
I am glad you enjoy the posts. My own example is

I have not found him on the AGS roll but he appears in the Veterinary Report of the Somaliland Expedition together with Civilian Vety. Duffadar Costa. Costa or Coster is on the A.V.D. Roll for “Somaliland 1902-4” and “Jidballi”. Comment on the roll says “from South Africa - Returned to India for discharge.” so

In the report he is called a Salutri so I presume he is Anglo-Indian

T. Cotter Served South Africa from after 1/1/1902.

Salutri Cotter landed at Obbia on the 18th March with A.B.Coster, with whom he had served in South Africa, and Salutri Khandiker from South Africa. Based at Khautor (near Lodobal) with Salutri Khandiker where most of the sick camels were sent on account of the grazing. Later sent by sea from Obbia to Berbera, when the Obbia base was closed, since he was unfit to march across Somaliland to Berbera with the rest of the column under General W.H.Manning. Served with “A” Section No. 6 Field Veterinary Hospital under Capt. C.M.B.Harris at Berbera.

Medal issued from the roll of the Supply and Transport Corps - Madras Command - Bangalore District - Bangalore.

Sailed aboard the Sirdhana (2720 tons) on the 25th September 1899 and aboard the Nerbudda (3025 tons) on the 27th September from Calcutta and arrived at the Port of Durban on the 16th and 18th October 1899 respectively. Transported 500 mules with them.
The Indian Pack Mule Train served at the Defence and Relief of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony. Some served also at Belfast.

Present for the Defence of Ladysmith and operations in the Transvaal. Returned to India prior to the roll being compiled on 17th September 1901. (P.R.O. WO 100/297 p.319) Roll marked “Returned to India” Casualty or sickness(?)
2,470 natives of India present at Ladysmith. (The Times History of The War in South Africa. Vol. iv p.522)

In order to supply the deficiency of hay, a corps of grass-cutters was formed and placed under the charge of Major W.J.R.Wickham, Assistant Commissary-General, Indian Commissariat Transport Department. This corps, which consisted of Indian refugees and Kaffirs, did excellent work, and collected grass under conditions of considerable difficulty.(Despatch 23rd March 1900, Lieut.-General Sir George White, V.C.,G.C.B.,G.C.S.I.,G.C.I.E., late Commanding the Ladysmith Garrison, to the Chief of the Staff to the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa).

(T)hese men make excursions by day and night to the confines of the perimeter to cut grass for the animals. (The Times History of The War in South Africa. Vol. IV p.516)

Served in the operations in the Punjab Frontier, Samana and Tirah as Muleteer Daffadar . Sher Zaman was promoted before the South African War to Jemadar.(?)
Served in the operations around Ladysmith from October 1899 and in the Cape Colony, Transvaal and Orange Free State. WO 100/297 p319

Spion Kop
Vera Stent, who served in the British forces there, described the work of the Indians in the Illustrated Star of Johannesburg, July 1911, as follows:

“ The previous afternoon I saw the Indian mule-train moved up the slopes of the Kop carrying water to the distressed soldiers who had lain powerless on the plateau. The mules carried the water in immense bags, one on each side, led by Indians at their heads. The galling rifle-fire, which heralded their arrival on the top, did not deter the strangely-looking cavalcade which moved slowly forward, and as an Indian fell, another quietly stepped forward to fill the vacant place."

Vaal Krantz
“From Mount Alice to the river was a big drop of a thousand feet, easy enough to go down, but at the bottom of the road used as a track was a dry watercourse, full of stones, rocks, and boulders, carried along like pebbles in the stream which poured down the hill side during the rains. Along the track, not a foot of which was level going, the transport dragged its weary way, and at night was parked under a big hill in possession of the enemy and known to contain a powerful gun. At sunrise next morning 84lb. Shells fell among the mass of wagons; the transport was at a blind end of a road, and nothing was left but to retrace its steps unless it wished to be destroyed. Every yard of that wretched road, negotiated with such pain and misery the previous day, had to be re-traversed. A mile of it was equal to a fifteen-mile march.”Sir Frederick Smith p26

Reference
The Times History of The War in South Africa.
Despatch 23rd March 1900, Lieut. -General Sir George White, V.C., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., late Commanding the Ladysmith Garrison, to the Chief of the Staff to the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa
P.R.O. WO 100/297
Smith Sir Frederick A Veterinary History of the Boer War 1899-1902

Looking for Salutries, Salootries and Veterinary Duffadars.
I collect primarily QSAs to Indian Recipients.